I can still walk to a family-owned auto repair shop (Dale's Karr Parts), where the owner keeps my second-hand car running, I can go for a swim for FREE while I wait for my tires to be changed by Reuben Estremara - who WE ALL love !!- at Westtown tires (I love you, too - Dale). I could swim for "free" at Lincoln Park Pool, where the ever-smiling AJ and his co-workers challenge the out-of-shape kids to push-up contests. I could grab a chai at Civilization and run into my neighbor Rick (Mayor of Brooklyn Centre) and Eric Hooper of Hooper's Farm and TWDC director Cory Riordan, who is fighting to save South Branch- Carnegie Library. I could come home and find my neighbor Carol hanging laundry and calling the raccoon, she and I both feed, affectionately by the name "Wally."

I can get a call in the afternoon (on my day off) from a neighbor, who lives on Mapledale - because he knows I work at the library - and our entire staff befriended his elderly daucshound mix Skylar, when she showed up at our doorstop during a heavy downpour. Because, he was at work, he called a neighbor (the councilman's mother-in-law) to retrieve his dog Skylar (who had tags w/contact info) and she was able to rescue the poor little thing, all wet and shivery. And, so Casey (Skylar's dad) called me today and wanted to thank me - he told me to that I could find flowers at Bernice's house. And, I did. What a great little neighborhood (sometimes). I won't mention that one of our kids died yesterday in a gang-related shooting. I will try and remember that we can help each other out, when we try. Settled down to food grown by a local CSA (Maggie's Farm) and a glass of wine. La Dolce Vita.